In a controversial decision, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved tech companies Cruise and Waymo to expand their driverless taxi services in San Francisco and charge passengers for rides. This approval allows more Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) on the city’s streets, enabling Cruise and Waymo to profit from passenger fares.
However, the decision has been met with criticism from city officials and residents alike. San Francisco transportation officials and supervisors have raised concerns about the companies’ lack of cooperation in providing data on traffic incidents involving their vehicles. Meanwhile, some residents have reported dangerous encounters with the driverless cars.
One San Francisco motorcycle rider, Andrew, recounted a near-collision with a Cruise vehicle. He described the driverless car’s behavior as “worse than a drunk driver,” and called for all Cruise vehicles to be removed from the city’s streets.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has noted that AVs have a tendency to “brick,” or stop abruptly when confused, often in inconvenient or even dangerous locations. This issue requires human operators to rescue the vehicles, adding to the criticism of their readiness for city streets.
Despite these concerns, Cruise and Waymo stand by their technology. They maintain that their driverless services will make roads safer and challenge what Cruise’s Prashanthi Raman describes as an “unsafe, inaccessible transportation status quo.”
However, the CPUC has imposed restrictions on the deployment of these vehicles. Cruise can only offer its services in certain areas of San Francisco between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., and without a driver present. Waymo, on the other hand, can operate throughout San Francisco at any time, but must have a driver present for fared passenger services.